Mara Haverkort joined the Urban Impact Team of AMS Institute as a Living Lab Coordinator. In this role, she helps shape collaborations and real-world experiments that bring together researchers, public partners, businesses, and residents to address urban challenges. Her work spans a variety of themes, including circularity, energy transitions and urban food systems.
Mara is endlessly curious about how complex challenges emerge. Recently, she has been steering impact in a citizen engagement project for the energy transition, exploring organizational structures that enable local food entrepreneurs to participate in large procurement tenders, and contributing to initiatives aimed at strengthening collaboration within AMS Institute. She enjoys identifying underlying patterns and translating these insights into structural changes that create meaningful and lasting impact.
Outside of her work, Mara volunteers at Het Afvalpaleis, where she enjoys rolling up her sleeves and contributing to a local circular initiative.
Mara believes cities can only thrive when we redesign them with care, creativity and collaboration.
“Meaningful change starts with curiosity. When we ask honest questions and truly listen, we create space for solutions that matter.”